Viking Magazine Volume X Issue 5

Viking Volume XI, Issue 5 March 2018

ANNE

ADVOCATE

CRIBBS:

OLYMPIAN CHAMPION P.20

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

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Line Up

4

Zooms-Editorial-Intro Package

16

Academics Over Atheletics

18

Animal Sports

20

Anne Cribbs: Advocate,Olympian,Champion

26

Friday Nightykes T

28

Dynamic Duos

30

Training Room Insight

32

The Weight of eammate the T

39

Iconic Rivalries

42

Viking ries: T Swapping Sports

44

Show MeourY Sign

47

“Final” Final Word

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@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Spencer Rojahn (‘18) finishes a drive in transition to help Paly beat Menlo 54-47 in the NorCal semifinal game.

Photo by David Hickey

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Finish

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@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

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Throw

Alex Daw (‘19) releases a discus in a track and field meet. Paly beat Mountain View 79-43.

Photo by David Hickey @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Snipe

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In Paly’s 15-5 loss to Los Gatos, Emily Wood (‘19) splits the center defenders and shoots.

Photo by David Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Viking Editors-in-Chief Sabrina Hall Bryan Look Executive Senior Staff Writers Will Strauch Jared Wulbrun Multimedia Editor Bryan Look Features Editors Lauren Daniel Sabrina Hall Design Editor Yue Shi

From the editors Volume XI, Issue 5 March 2018

Staff Writers Eric Aboytes Zach Baumgarten Jackson Chryst Summer Daniel Will DeAndre Nathan Ellisen Maria Fletcher Tyler Foug Ellie Jeffries Josh Kasevich Mallory Kuppe Zach Phillips Nathan Seto Jason Shorin Cole Sotnick Ryan Stanley Ryan Strathearn Nick Welch

Photo Editor David Hickey Copy Editor Stan de Martel News Editors Max Jung-Goldberg Hayley Levine Head Columnists Wes Walters Matan Ziv Business Manager Lauren Daniel Adviser Brian Wilson

Viking Magazine Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif.

Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck All photos taken from Creative Commons unless noted

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Dear readers,

Hello Vikings!

After a long year of growth and learning, this will be our last letter from the editors. Looking back on our time on staff, we will be taking away many memories, lessons and skills that will be passed on to the next leadership staff. Not only are seasons changing inevitable, but as is the changing of leadership. We are excited to pass the baton to the next editors; we wish you the best.

However, it is not that time yet. As the weather warms up and the flowers begin to bloom, we hope you will be able to read this edition of Viking in the green meadows of the outside world.

Our cover story Anne Cribbs: Advo-

cate, Olympian, Champion, is written

by Ellie Jefferies (‘19), Stan de Martel (‘19), Maria Fletcher (‘19) and Cole Sotnick (‘19). Olympic gold medalist, Title IX advocate, co-founder of the first professional women’s basketball team, and sports enthusiast are all titles Anne Cribbs proudly wears. Mother to Paly’s own Kindel Launer, Cribbs’ life exemplifies that of a committed champion of sports, equality, and her own Bay Area community.

Our second feature this issue is The Weight of the Teammate, written by Nathan Ellisen (‘19), Mallory Kuppe (‘19), and Summer Daniel (‘20). The role of the teammate in any athletes path to success

is incredibly important. Viking explores different kinds of teammates in history through today, as well as the importance each characteristic of a teammate has on the success of individual competitiors and the team as a whole.

All in all, it’s been a great run, Vikes. To all the non-seniors, keep bleeding green and white. To all the seniors, we hope you continue to bleed green and white through the next chapter of your educational path.

Sko Vikes!

Sabrina Hall Bryan Look

Staff View: On student-section censorship There is nothing better than a Friday night in the Peery Center with Los Gatos as the opposing team and the Vikes on a 17 game winning streak with the league title on the line. The first game between the rivals went into double overtime with the Vikes pulling out the victory 77-68.

One major part of that victory for the Vikes was the Paly student section. The rowdy bunch made the trek out to Los Gatos during rush hour on a cold Friday night to show undying support for their team. Through the ups and downs of that game, the fans stayed tuned in and were as loud as could be, storming the court after the win with aggression.

A student section that travels well and is incredibly supportive is something that brings out the best in the athletes who are performing on that given night.

A student section is a place where students of all different races, social groups and ages come together in an effort to be the loudest, most enthusiastic fans in the entire country in support of their school.

Carrying the load of the cheers can be a difficult thing, especially when the school administrators are pacing back and forth monitoring every word that is said or gesture that is made at the opposing team. Part of being in the student section is enjoying the freedom to represent your school in any way to reinforce

your team’s dominance. Kasra Orumchian (‘18), one of the key cogs of the student section, and the leader of the Paly Sixth Man Club, loves supporting his Vikes, but he does have some concerns.

“I appreciate everything admin does to stay within CIF and CCS guidelines, but occasionally they limit the creativity of the student section,” Orumchian said,” however, they do allow us to get pretty rootin-tootin rowdy, so I gotta show them some love.”

Other students such as George Welch (‘18) have expressed other opinions about the administration’s strict attitude toward the rowdiness of the student section.

“This being my final year of high school, I’ve come out to most of the games and shown my support,” Welch said. “I would describe myself as a somewhat rowdy, dedicated fan and I sometimes feel limited in my resentment of the opposing team. I’m a volcano ready to erupt; admin can only contain me for so long. Sko Vikes!”

When signs are made, there is plenty of thought and care that are put into them and the basketball team is appreciative that the students take the time to support in that manner. When the administration takes those signs and posters away from our cheering section, the atmosphere is negatively affected by it

because it takes the focus away from the task at hand. We think in order to let the student section express their discontent towards to the opponent we need to reach an agreement with the administration on what can be said and what can be made to show our school spirit in a mature manner.

We agree that admin has the right to remove signs that do cross the line, or are deemed socially unacceptable, but in the end, we believe a student section is just a group of determined individuals who are excited and ready to elevate the performance of those on the court.

In the end of it all, the students at Paly just want to support their team with undying support in any way possible, and they want to do so without being watched by elders like hawks. Is that too much to ask for? We don’t believe so. It is all in good fun, correct? So why not let the students enjoy themselves, while keeping their actions in check, in an environment that gives them the opportunity to do nothing but positively represent the school.

Have you ever seen those crazy parents at a sporting event that never stop yelling at the officials or the coach for not making the right call? Everyone has!

Leave the hollering and complaining to the youth of today and let us get our anger out in support of the cause we are all fighting for.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Pop Culture Grid In-N-Out or Chick-fil-A?

Johnny Loftus (‘18) Tennis

In-N-Out

In-N-Out

Jack Stefanski (‘19) Lacrosse

In-N-Out

Lacrosse or Baseball?

Lacrosse

Favorite TV show?

The Office

March Mad- March Madness Sleeper? ness Winner?

Arizona

Lacrosse

The Goldbergs

Kansas State

Lacrosse

Anderson Cooper 360

Missouri

10 Questions With

George Welch

Duke

as told to Zach Baumgarten and Ryan Stanley

Charles Mitz Michigan (‘21) Swimming

George Welch (‘18)

Ryan De Gregorio Coach

Niko Lillios (‘18) Teammate

Funniest Teammate?

Ole

Ole

Ole

Celebrity Crush?

Kate Upton

Amy Schumer

Missandei

Kevin’s

Pre-game Meal?

Mike and Ike

Kevin’s

Whatever is in front of him

Inception

Favorite Movie?

Anchor Man

Sex in the City

Anything Tarantino

Moisty Mire

Favorite Fortnite Landing Spot?

Tilted Towers

Nolan Arenado

Favorite Baseball Player?

Mike Trout

Carlos Gonzalez

Himself

I’m Not Really Good at Anything

Secret Talent?

Hitting Flyballs

Losing his Wallet

Not talented

Michigan

March Madness Winner

Kansas

Lehigh

Villanova

Bleacher Report

Favorite App?

Instagram

Tinder

ESPN

Plug Walk

Favorite Song?

Bohemian Rhapsody

Sit Next To Me

Feel it still

0%

10%

10%

Michigan

Luc L’Heureux (‘20) Soccer

In-N-Out

Lacrosse

Baseball

Grey’s Anatomy

Key and Peele

Arizona

UCLA

Kentucky

Laney Henry (‘21) Lacrosse

Selena Gomez

Duke

Moment of the Month

Varsity basketball defeated Menlo in the NorCal semifinals.

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Nick Loops (‘18) Friend

Question: Melvin

In-N-Out

Viking Magazine asked Paly Baseball’s George Welch (‘18) 10 Questions. We then asked his coach, teammate and friend what they thought Welch would say. Here are their guesses...

Loot Lake

Tilted Towers

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Inside the Mind Of

Ole Erickson Spring Season

Pet Peeve

HAND DRYERS in the bathroom.

I know we’re on this whole “green mission” and what not but I’m tired of vigorously shaking my hands like I’m performing some sort of spiritual dance.

Baseball is gonna be great this year.

Lacrosse still has a team which always dampens the mood. It’s always fun to watch the frat boys that weren’t good enough at baseball try to salvage the minimal hand eye coordination they have.

Best Abo Par t ut P As a aly whol

e I th Paly h ink spirit as great s that . The choo p l of ba ast coup le game sketball sh extre ave been mely fun.

Diet Breakfast I usually eat a Chobani (shoutout CB) and some cereal. Lunch is a turkey sandwich and a Quest bar. At dinner I just absolutely chow, anything and everything.

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Seco

nd S eme ster Seni I’m e or njo

have ying it. I to hom ewor do too don’t k w it ea much hich sy to make fortn justif ite s y pl sq a every uads a ying lmos night t .

20% discount on any burrito Monday-Friday from 3-5 pm Students must have student ID, 1 item per student, 1 coupon per student

Sko Vikes!

Want to advertise here? contact us at vikingads@gmail.com @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

contract with the Washington Redskins.

Most recently, Garçon signed signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Garçon is a great example of a Division III athlete whose drive and motivation pushed him to the top of the NFL. If you take a look at Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann attened Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a Division III school, for three years. In his last two years of college, he had an ERA (earned run average) of 2.28 and 2.08 which made major league teams take a closer look at him. In 2007, he was drafted in the second round by the Washington Nationals. Two years later he made his debut against the Atlanta Braves. Zimmermann’s accolades includes being the National League wins leader in both 2013 and 2014. He was also named an All-Star in those two seasons as well. In 2014, Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history with a 1-0 win against the Miami Marlins.

In the 2015 off-season, Zimmermann Photos by DAVID HICKEY signed a 5 year $110 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

While some Division III athletes have gone pro, the chances of going pro from the Division III are extremely low. This results in many Division III athletes focusing on academics or simply enjoying playing their sport and being with their teammates.

by JACKSON CHRYST and HAYLEY LEVINE Spencer Rojahn (‘18) a three year starter for the basketball team is verbalViking tries to find the origin of Paly’s tradition of sending athletes to Division III ly committed to Rochester University. schools so they can continue their athletic careers as well as grow academically Rochester is one of the nation’s leading t’s 10 am on a July Sunday and Em- of the athletes who dreamed of playing private universities and renowned for ily Tomz (‘18) is about to make a life professionally started out playing for a their academic courses . This was one changing decision. She’s standing Division III school. of the reasons Rojahn picked Rochester. outside in her birkenstocks making The first name that For Rojahn, he doesn’t care the phone call that very few get to comes to mind what division Rochester make. Tomz is making the call to attend is 49ers Pierre is in.

Pomona College in the fall for soccer. Garçon. Garçon I look forward to making great “I don’t care about She’s deciding that there’s more to life attended the the division because friends on the team next year than athletics. Tomz is choosing a school University of of the academics,” and hopefully grow as a player. Rojahn said. with strong academics so that she’ll be Mount Union in able to continue her soccer career but Alliance, Ohio Rojahn has no plans also have the opportunity to create a and led the Raidof going pro and - Jeremy Akioka (‘18) future beyond soccer. Over the years, ers to back to back is really just looking lots of athletes from Paly have cho- Division III Nationforward to playing the sen to attend Division III schools. There al Championships and game he loves. are many athletes that have gone on to was a two-time Division III All-American “I look forward to the team bonding explay professionally. Others realize that during his time there. In 2008, Garçon perience and continuing to enjoy a sport academics are more important to them was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in I have always played,” Rojahn said. For than athletics and make that the main fo- the sixth round of the NFL Draft. In 2010, Rojahn, going Division III is away for him cus when getting recruited. At Palo Alto Garçon became a starter and finished to continue his basketball career while High School, there have been many ath- the season with 70 receptions, 947 refocusing more on his academics than a letes that compete at Division III schools. ceiving yards, and six touchdowns. In Division I school would allow. While RoEight athletes from the 2018 class have 2012, Garçon signed a signed a five-year jahn did get a couple looks from Division committed to a Division III school. Many $42.5 million, $20.5 million guaranteed, I schools, he found it more personally

Academics Over Athletics

I

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beneficial if he went to Rochester. school since freshman year,” Tomz said.

“I wasn’t overlooked really, I was talking Making the decision was quite difficult to a couple of Division I schools, but de- because the idea of being a Division I is cided on the most academic school,” Ro- the dream for any athlete. Many athletes if given the option of going to a Division jahn said.

Jeremy Akioka (‘18), a three-year var- III school over a Division I schools is besity baseball player plans to continue his cause they want to have the best college baseball career at Swarthmore Univer- experience possible. “In the end decided that playing D3 would prosity in Pennsylvania. vide me with a better colLike Rochester, Swarthmore is lege experience, Tomz I went outside and called the well known for said. I ended up turnPomona coach and let her know ing down a D1 school their academic courses and that I decided that I would apply for a D3 school.” beautiful camShe was attracted to early to Pomona and I couldn’t pus. This was Pomona not only for be happier. one of the main athletics but academireasons Akioka cally as well. “I’ve loved - Emily Tomz (‘18) was attracted to Pomona since the start!

Swarthmore saying The first colleges I ever visited, “When I first visited Swarthmore it was not even for soccer, were the Claremont just for academics. the campus was real- Colleges which includes Pomona, and ly beautiful and the facilities were great since then I’ve loved everything about it,” I knew that I’d apply there no matter Tomz said.” what.”

The athletics combined with her conAkioka wants to reach the profession- tinued academic interest is what gave al level and sees Swarthmore as a place Tomz the ultimate push to commit to where he can continue and improve his Pomona. “The coach is by far the kindest baseball career all while earning a de- coach I’ve ever interacted with too, Tomz gree at a top liberal arts college, said. I also spoke to a lot of players from “At the moment my velocity isn’t on par different schools over the course of the with a typical MLB prospect but if i get recruiting process and those at Pomona much stronger and work on my game seemed the most enthusiastic about the pros could potentially be a possibility school and team.” after getting my education.” said Akioka.

While Division III athletes don’t have When choosing his school, Akioka fo- a high chance cused more on the academic profile and at going pro saw many of the Division I schools out of many of them reach due to his profile. still personal“Division I was never really a reality to me ly benefit as so i sought out the division three schools much or even that fit my academic and athletic profile” more than DiAkioka said. vision I athFinally Akioka is looking forward to letes.

These closing out his career at Paly with a athletes get strong senior season and is looking for- another four ward to counting his baseball career at more years of Swarthmore saying the sport they “I look forward to making great friends love all while on the team next year and hopefully meeting new grow as a player”. people and Along with Rojahn and Akioka, Emily gaining new Tomz will also be attending a Division life lessons.

III school for soccer. Tomz is a four year They gain life starter on the girls soccer team will be e x p e r i e n c e attending Pomona College. and even with The recruiting process started really a slim chance early on in Tomz’s career. As a freshman, at going to the she was looking to be recruited by a Di- p r o f e s s i o n a l vision I school and there were many Divi- level. sion I schools that were interested in her.

(Far Left) Emily Tomz (‘18) brings the ball up the field against Mountain View. (Top) Jeremy Akioka (‘18) pitches against Saratoga. (Bottom) “I was recruited by D1 schools at first! I Spencer Rojahn (‘18) hits a three against Heritage High School. was focused on being recruited by a D1

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

“I wish I was a dog so that I could compete in Canine Freestyle” - Marvin Zou (‘19)

Animal

Dog surfing is just like normal human surfing, just with a little more safety and a whole lot more of a wow factor.

A classic rodeo, but instead of people riding horses, monkeys ride dogs.

Canine Freestyle is a synchronized and intricately planned dance between the handler and the dog which is scored on flair and creativity.

An intense game of catch where dogs are judged based on catching ability and athleticism.

Sports

by TYLER FOUG and JASON SHORIN Viking Magazine takes an in depth look at the world of animal sports. We discovered the incredible amount of skill, practice, and flair that these sports require.

In the dog equivalent of long jump, Dock Jumping requires dogs to leap for distance into a pool.

A normal game of polo, but the horses are replaced with massive elephants.

“I aspire to be as athletic as those Dock Jumping dogs” - Navid Najmabadi (‘19)

ANNE

CRIBBS:

ADVOCATE OLYMPIAN CHAMPION

Olympic gold medalist, Title IX advocate, co-founder of the first professional women’s basketball team, and sports enthusiast are all titles Anne Cribbs proudly wears. Mother to Paly’s own Kindel Launer, Cribbs’ life exemplifies that of a committed champion of sports, equality, and her own Bay Area community.

by ELLIE JEFFRIES, MARIA FLETCHER, STAN DE MARTEL, COLE SOTNICK 20 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

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@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

G

old medalist, Title IX advocate, creator of the first professional women’s basketball team, and allaround sports enthusiast are all titles Anne Cribbs proudly wears. Mother to Paly’s own Kindel Launer, Cribbs’ life exemplifies a dedicated champion of sports, equality, and her own community: the Bay Area.

An American in Rome, she had one job to do: swim fast. In 1960, the same Olympics that Cassius Clay boxed in, she carried in the Olympic flag; little did she know she would walk away two weeks later with a gold medal. Just 15 at the time, Anne Cribbs could have never foreseen the effect she would have–not just for female athletics, but on sports in her community as a whole.

Anne Warner Cribbs has always been a “local”.

From growing up in Saratoga, to training in Santa Clara, and going to Los Gatos High School, she knows the competitiveness and skill that comes from this area. To this day, Cribbs works with athletes from the Bay Area and around the world–after her own successful, but short, athletic career herself.

Cribbs was born in Burlingame and has lived in the Bay Area her whole life, including raising her own children here.

(Her daughter Kindel Launer is now a Paly English teacher.) Cribbs’ parents started her off in sports at a young age, but she did not immediately find her place in the pool. Her mom emphasized Anne’s involvement in various different activities before they recognized her passion for swimming.

“I was an only child, and my mother felt like I should get to know all different sports,” Cribbs told us. “She took me to the horse stables and that didn’t go well at all–I didn’t like the flies and the heat.

So we went to Burgess.”

Cribbs’ had her first swimming lesson

at the young age of five, when she was “tall enough to be in the water without having my head go under”, said Cribbs.

During her high school years, Cribbs transferred from MA after sophomore year to Los Gatos in order to live and train with the two world record holders at the time, also high schoolers. At Los Gatos, she was allowed to take a lighter course load with four college preparatory classes, enabling her to train twice a day, three hours in the morning and three in the evening. Cribbs’ intense schedule was specifically designed for

competed in two events, both breastroke; in her signature 200 meter event she placed fifth, but Cribbs won gold with her 400 meter medley relay team, taking another medal home to California.

Although Cribbs’ Olympic years have passed, she finds that there is common ground for many Olympians today. Each individual has a “tribe”, Cribbs said, whether it be friends, family, or coaches; each play a major role in the Olympic journey. For Cribbs, a major factor in her athletic success was her parents.

Cribbs’ mother never forced her daughter to do anything she didn’t want to do, rather emphasizing that one should be passionate about what one chooses to do.

Cribbs shared some of the other lessons she learned through the training and competing process.

“You have to be persistent and determined, and the last thing is to never give up. If you have a dream that you want to accomplish, you should follow it.”

With a gold medal and an Olympic experience already on her resume, Cribbs’ future looked more than bright; however her dreams were cut short when the lack of women collegiate teams prevented her from playing at the next level.

Title IX is a federal law that states “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance”. In short, it mandates that every opportunity boys get, girls also must have access to as well. This had huge effects for women athletes on a collegiate level. Prior to this law being enforced there was little opportunity for women to compete beyond high school, as funding was not allocated equally among both genders’ teams, and even at the high school level girls

“You have to be persistent and determined, and the last thing is to never give up. If you have a dream that you want to accomplish, you should follow it.”

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one goal: to become an Olympian.

“Even when you think, ‘I don’t want to get out of bed to go to practice, I don’t want to do this, I’d rather go and do something else’, that kind of work ethic is important,” said Cribbs, regarding the mentality of Olympians. “Find something that you love to do and know that it is important to set a goal and have those dreams.”

Cribbs’ training under former Olympians, including the famous George Haines, allowed her to aspire to a high level of competition with the Santa Clara Swim Club. She was one of the first of many Olympians coached by Haines, who also coached at Stanford and UCLA and would go on to lead seven U.S. Olympic swim teams throughout his career.

After getting a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games, Cribbs was off to the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. She

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and boys teams were treated, viewed and facilitated differently.

Cribbs recalls her own experiences when it was obvious that because she was a female athlete she was at a disadvantage. One clear memory from her high school days was the stark d ifference between the girls and boys gyms at her school.

“We had a gym that had bleachers and then we had a smaller gym without bleachers that was the girls gym” Cribbs said, “the assumption was that nobody would ever come to be a spectator at a girls game.”

When Cribbs was graduating high school her lack of options when it came to continuing swimming was not alarming nor outrageous to her. In the 60’s,

the idea that women athletes should have the same opportunity as their male counterparts was not a prominent discussion by any means.

Ultimately, Cribbs had no opportunity to play at the next level coming out of high school, and her swim career consequently ended.

“All of us went to the Olympics, and came home and basically retired,” said Cribbs. “The reason that we did that is that there were no opportunities, there were no college scholarships any place, and there was no Title IX.” It was around a decade later that Title IX was created, and Cribbs quickly became an advocate for the revolutionary new law.

“People have to speak up and and people have to advocate and people

“The assumption was that nobody would ever come to be a spectator at a girls game.”

Top: logo for the Title IX law.

Left: logo for the American Basketball League.

have to say that’s wrong.” Cribbs said regarding the inequality female athletes continue to face today.

Cribbs also believes in the importance of communities as a whole lifting up female athletes, and the continued push to strengthen Title IX’s effect. She has been inspired by the volume of people who have backed this law and continued to advocate for it.

“The more people that know about [Title IX], the more important it is that it won’t get lost,” added Cribbs.

In her professional career, Cribbs stayed connected to her athletic roots, dedicating her time to the community and to furthering the female athletes opportunities she was denied. In 1995, Cribbs co-founded the American Basketball League, the organization that set the stage for the WNBA, the National Basketball Associations League for wom-

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

en. The American Basketball League, or ABL, was the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States–and the first organization to offer a platform for female basketball players to continue after college. It was the ABL that gave the world a glimpse of what women’s professional sports could, and should, become. The NBA would later copy

“The more people that know about [Title IX], the more important it is that it won’t get lost”

Below: Anne Cribbs carries in the American flag at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

1960 Olympic Games

the framework of this league when creating the WNBA. Several years later in 1999, she became the president and CEO of the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee or BASOC, which “is dedicated to advancing the goals and values of amateur sport and the Olympic Movement”. This includes primarily the delivery of major national and international sporting events to the Bay Area, with the ultimate goal of holding the Olympic Games here.

Cribbs continued passion for sports and Title IX advocation has led to other honors besides her medal and national records. Cribbs has been inducted into the San Jose, San Mateo County, and MAHS Halls of Fame, and in 2015 received the Golden Medallion Award, the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s highest award as a “trailblazer for women in sports”. She has received the Olympic Torch Award from the United States Olympic Committee and the Athletes in Excellence Award by the Foundation for Global Sports Development.

Cribbs’ career has been full of accomplishments and she shows no sign of slowing down now. She braved and succeeded on the Olympic stage as a teenager, advocated for women so that they can have the opportunity to play when she didn’t, won numerous awards and worked to bring the Olympics back to her home in the

Bay Area. Cribbs went beyond persevering through her own setbacks, but went farther to assure that other women wouldn’t have to face the same inequality. Her continued dedication to the Bay Area, to Olympians, to female

athletes, and to the world of sports make her far more than a medalist. Her contributions continue to inspire athletes whose dreams sometimes seem impossible, and female athletes everywhere are thankful.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Friday Night Tykes There is a proposition being passed around the state senate to ban tackle football before high school, this proposition needs to be stopped.

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by WES WALTERS and WILL DeANDRE

Photos by Ellie Jeffries

ecently, California state senators Kevin McCarty and Loreina Gonzalez-Fletcher decided it was a good idea to propose a ban on children from playing tackle football before high school. They don’t realize that players will be unprepared for high school football.

They are also robbing kids of an enjoyable childhood and not allowing parents and the children to make the decision themselves. Another issue is that football is not the only sport that leads to a lot of injuries. After the government bans tackle football, what’s next? Will they ban flag football? Our children will be raised play-

ing non-contact sports and that will lead to our kids being less tough later in life.

The first issue with taking away youth tackle football is that the kids will no longer be prepared for high school football.

If youth tackle football gets banned it will only increase the number of injuries in high school. The first thing that is taught to young players is how to tackle proper-

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ly. If people are not taught how to tackle the correct way until high school there would be an increase in concussions at the high school level.

If everyone playing football at the high school level is a novice tackler there will only be more concussions. Thankfully at the high school level there aren’t as many concussions as

“The human body craves contact” -Jim Harbaugh (‘82)

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there could be. This is partially due to the fact that medical techniques have gotten better, but can also be attributed to the fact that young athletes are taught how to play the game correctly.

Secondly, banning football for children is a complete violation of the rights of Americans. The land of the free would be robbing Americans of the most popular sport in the country. It is clear to see that this would be an example of the government overstepping their boundaries and banning something that people love. In addition to this, it is not the government’s job to prevent these children from playing football, it is the parent’s responsibility. When it comes down to it, every parent knows what is best for their child, and also what their child wants to do. If the parents of a child feel as though their child should wait until high school to play football, they have every right in the world to not allow him or her to play football. Therefore, there is no reason why the state government should be able to make parenting decisions for the parents.

Playing Little League, AYSO and NJB are some of the activities that athletic kids enjoy. All of these youth leagues are great but they are missing something: contact. According to Palo Alto High School alum and current Head Football Coach at Michigan Jim Harbaugh, “the human body craves contact.” Youth football is a place where kids who are real alphas can have fun and learn how to become better football players. Sophomore wide receiver Jamir Shepard (‘20) never played tackle football until high school and admits there was a lot he missed out on.

“A drawback [of not playing youth football] would be not making some friends and missing out on the experience of being on a football team before high school,” Shepard said.

Throughout this experience, athletes can also create bonds that other sports don’t allow. The relationships built on a football team are unlike anything. Overcoming adversity as a team with a group of your friends is a feeling that cannot be reproduced. Quarterback Kevin Cullen (‘20) feels lucky that he was able to play youth football for this exact reason.

“There is something about fighting with your brothers to achieve a common goal in football that is completely different than a sport like lacrosse,” Cullen said.

As he said, the bond of a football team is stronger than that of another sport.

This is because the aspects of thrill and intensity which are magnified in football.

If the government is to ban youth football, many kids will lose a fun way to spend their fall and more importantly lose the chance to build relationships that can last a lifetime.

Banning a sport as popular as football could lead to other sports being lost as well. It is not the only sport that has a high number of concussions. Sports such as soccer and lacrosse also cause a significant number of concussions, however ,there is no talk of banning these other sports. If you ban football that means more kids might play sports such as lacrosse. If lacrosse is played on as large of a scale as football, it will probably lead to just as many concussions, if not even more because kids are not taught how to properly hit in lacrosse.

We are not saying that concussions are not a big deal because of course they are. They lead to long term effects that are quite frightening such as CTE. Eliminating youth tackle football is an incorrect step to help combat the concussion issue. The right way to address concussions is to improve equipment such as helmets. Also there needs to be proper education about how to properly treat concussions. We also need to make sure we are coaching our kids how to avoid concussions by tackling correctly and not leading with their heads.

The government’s proposition is a travesty and should be stopped before it gets any momentum. Football isn’t going anywhere and if this becomes a law, parents might just start an underground child football league and the children will not be coached well. This will end up leading to more concussions and injuries because there will also be no trainers or team doctors.

It’s obvious that the California government shouldn’t ban youth football because it is the parents decision to decide what’s best for their kids. In addition to this, the sport is fun, it helps prepare kids for high school football, and there is no alternative to it.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

“Playing on the same team as kids... allowed us to always have somebody P to practice with” o -Tilak Misner (‘18)

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The Fan siblings both competed on the varsity volleyball team this past fall, a dynamic duo of sisters. Britney Fan (‘19) played setter and Chelsea Fan (‘18) played outside. The two have been never been on the same team before the varsity team, so finally playing on the same team was a bonding experience for the two.

“I think it brought us closer together because we got to spend more time together at tournaments, games, practices, and car rides,” Chelsea said. Chelsea finished her high school volleyball career last fall after four

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“When [we] are on the court... I know that I can count on her” -Ilayda Turgut (‘21)

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season they played on the varsity team as freshmen. Aside from the few differences the sisters have, at the end of the day they enjoy playing together.

“I really like the joy she brings to the team… and she knows how to cheer everyone up,” Elif Turgut (‘21) said. The twins look forward to play for Paly together in the future.

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The Turgut sisters have been playing basketball together for the past four years and they continue to get better individually and as a team. Over the years, the twins have gained trust on the court.

“When [we] are on the court, I feel as if the pressure is off me a little because I know that I can count on her,” Ilayda Turgut (‘21) said. This past winter

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by NATHAN SETO and RYAN STANLEY

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Sibling athletes are bringing twice the power to Paly athletics. The Fans, Misners, and Turguts have been dynamic duos in Paly’s varsity sports this year and their impact has shown. Viking looks into the relationship between competitive varsity athlete siblings.

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“[Volleyball] allowed me to spend more quality time with [my sister] and allowed us to bond” -Britney Fan (‘19)

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Kiran & Tilak

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competition between us, but allowed us to always have somebody to practice with,” Tilak said.

Tilak plays Single 1 and is captain of the team and Kiran assumed a leader role as the only senior goalkeeper this past season.

“I think [playing sports] brought us closer since it has created a daily talking point between the two of us,” Kiran said.

z En

Since playing on the same youth soccer team with Kiran Misner (‘18) as a goalie and Tilak Misner (‘18) as a defender, the two have continued to play sports, although not together. Kiran has continued to play as a goalkeeper and finished his high school soccer career this past winter and Tilak is starting his last season on badminton this spring. The two have played the majority of their high school careers at the varsity level.

“Playing on the same team as kids didn’t really make it a

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years on the varsity team and has decided to play at Carnegie Mellon next year, a Division 3 volleyball school.

Britney has decided to stop playing volleyball, after a year each on the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity team. As her sister leaves for college, Britney will miss her on and off the court.

“I’ll miss the times we could play volleyball together in our backyard, but I’ll visit and support her matches when I can!,” Britney said. The two will cherish the season they played together.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Training Room Insight The training room undergoes big changes, including a new room with nicer equipment and a substitute trainer while Justine Iongi is on her maternity leave.

by LAUREN DANIEL and YUE SHI

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s soon as the bell sounds, the training room becomes swarmed with athletes needing help with injuries and recovery. Justine Iongi, the head of athletic training at Paly, soothes students as an experienced physical therapist. Recently, she has left for maternity leave and will not return until next year.

For the past month, when students have been in need of assistance, Brien Arakaki has been there, filling in as Iongi’s substitute trainer.

With the construction of the new gym, a new training room has also opened at Palo Alto High School. The impressive new training room is both larger than the old training room and is host to much nicer equipment than what was previously housed in the same space.

Iongi, known to students as Mrs. E, has made a huge impact on the students and the athletic program during her time at Paly. Basketball and volleyball player Grace Thayer (‘19) visits the training room often and has only glowing comments about Mrs. E. “Mrs. E does so much more than run the training room for Paly athletics,” Thayer said. “She has computers for student athletes to get help with homework

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Photos by Yue Shi

Christina Adams ('18) and Karisa Galindo Macias ('21) hang out in the training room awaiting help for injuries

before and after practices. I've seen her cheer up kids, I know I can talk to her about anything that is getting me down.

She creates a family environment 100 percent and she's everyone's other mom and friend.”

Almost everyday after school, the training room is buzzing with people. Some people, like Thayer, try to avoid the busy after-wschool rush.

“I go in there during my preps to avoid the traffic,” Thayer said. “A typical day with Mrs. E in the training room is hectic with all the athletes she has to see for eval or treatment, but with the help of Sergio [Llamas] everything gets done.”

Llamas is the assistant athletic trainer and is also known by many students.

With Mrs. E on maternity leave, Arakaki is filling in for her as the substitute trainer.

A typical day in the training room consists of taping up athletes, rehabilitating them, and athletes just hanging out and helping out.

The routine is the same for the substi-

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tute trainer. Arakaki’s job is to ensure the safety of Paly’s athletes.

“My job is to make sure that every single athlete is safe, whether that’s preventative, whether that’s nutritious, whether that’s taping,” Arakaki said. “An important role is to make sure that when there’s an injury, I am the first responder.”

Arakaki has an impressive background as a trainer and has worked at a variety of places before coming to Paly. However, he admits that working with high schoolers provides a different experience.

“It’s always nice to get into a high school setting because you have so many different personalities as well as so many different teams, and it’s a growing experience for everybody,” Arakaki said.

As one would probably expect, game days in the training room look a little different than a regular practice day. On game days, Arakaki goes by the motto of always trying to look professional and provides guest teams with water and ice and preps everything before hand. One

trainer is always on hand at each home game in the case of an injury.

“When the host team comes and spectators and fans come, I want to make sure that everything is pristine and professional, like it’s D1 college or professional games because those little things that you don’t think about are key to me,” Arakaki said. “It brings out the facility, brings out the staff, and it also brings out the environment of the school.”

Just like all sports fans that attend Paly games, trainers like Arakaki are able to enjoy the games when no injuries occur.

“Outside of my basic responsibility, I just enjoy the game, really. So, as long as our services are not needed, it’s a great game day,” Arakaki said.

Aside from the exciting games, practice days differ in the way that they are more centered on injury maintenance and review, according to Arakaki. On a typical day, the first 30 minutes after school is the time when athletes come in to get taped or wrapped in order to participate in their practices. After that time, evaluations for new injuries happen after athletes check in with their coach.

While being a trainer consists of helping athletes with their injuries, a big part of it that many people may not realize or think about, is the emotional side. Frankly, Arakaki considers it the most challenging aspect of his job.

“The most difficult part is being professional and also being someone they [athletes] can trust or count on,” Arakaki said.

Injuries are often mentally and emotionally traumatizing to many athletes, and being a trainer means taking on the responsibility of never letting an athlete down, Arakaki added.

Arakaki ultimately decided to pursue kinesiology because of the same treatment that he received while suffering an injury from playing hockey.

“When I played ice hockey I actually fractured my hip and I had a great physical therapist that was absolutely amazing,” Arakaki said.

The training room and the trainer are vital to the Paly athletic department and that is evident by the way it is talked about by students.

“Although I have only been here for two years, I can say that many athletes who are older also feel the same when it comes to the training room, you will find it a very welcoming community,” Thayer said.

Ashlyn Hutchinson ('21) gets her calf rolled out by assistant trainer Sergio Llamas.

Substitute trainer Brien Arakaki helps Karisa Galindo Macias ('21) with her injury.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Quiet

Inspirational

Funny

Competitive

Leader

Prodigy

The Weight of the Teammate The role of the teammate in any athletes path to success is incredibly important. Viking explores different kinds of teammates in history through today, as well as the importance each characteristic of a teammate has on the success of individual competitiors and the team as a whole.

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hen stepping up to the plate for his first major league at-bat, Jackie Robinson had plenty on his mind besides the baseball that was coming his way. He felt the end of his bat, and knew there was more on the line than the swing he was about to take.

Despite the fact that Robinson had plenty of courage to step up to the plate and swing, he needed the support of his teammates in order to be granted the opportunity at hand.

Pee Wee Reese and many others are considered to be inspirational teammates that uplift their colleagues to perform better despite adversity and pressure.

In history, Pee Wee Reese is a perfect example of an inspirational teammate in his actions towards Jackie Robinson.

Reese was one of the only professional baseball players to even somewhat support Robinson’s claim to fame, and inspired Robinson to continue his civil rights protest despite prominent hatred from the rest of the league and the world.

Within each sports team, there is almost always one player known to lift up all the others. Whether they do it with their calm, inspiring words, or pump up personality, they always share their go-getter attitude to motivate the team.

This player is usually a very cherished teammate that brings a lot of heart. One Paly athlete that stands out with this type of personality is basketball player Annie Niethammer (‘19).

Niethammer is the type of teammate that contributes by “just being there for them and hyping everyone up before games and practices, dancing and making everyone smile,” Niethammer said. “I

notice that when the team is on the same page and in the right state of mind is when we work much better together and just making sure everyone is cheering for each other on and off the court.”

These types of players are responsible for making sure the team is always bringing their A-game and their teammate never put their head down when faced with adversity or defeat.

One example of this in professional sports is Draymond Green.

Green is infamous for his outgoing spirit that never fails to motivate his teammates.

Stephen Curry refers to him as “the voice” and “spirit of the team, and we kind of feed off of his energy.” Green leads through Jackie Robinson lines up for his words that inspire and fire up a swing. players to bring out the best in them.

Although the inspirational teammay have not always gotten along with mate is certainly one of the most import- their colleagues, but were great NBA ant members of any team, a certainly players that benefitted their teams. popular type of teammate is the teams They both would make jokes with the funniest player. opponent and were generally successful Generally, this player enjoys the com- in demoralizing and destroying their mopetition and lightens the teams nervous- rale. This, in turn, would benefit the team ness during a game. Some aspects of as a whole, since if the opposition is less this type of teammate include players inclined to perform well than the other who either jokingly or seriously com- team is far more likely to succeed in their pete with all their heart, or put on a show game. when needed.

In the Paly athletics world, Will SchlemFunny players can either be classified mer (‘18) is a perfect example of this kind as an inspirational teammate or an an- of a teammate. noyance to the team, but in most cases, “Schlemmer is definitely the funniest they provide comic relief when necessary teammate, ” Marvin Zou (‘19) said. and can ease the tension off of the rest of Schlemmer is always invested in the the fellow members of the team. Often game as much as possible. Not to mentimes, a team is stuck in a difficult situa- tion, he is certainly considered a valuable tion, and comic relief can always aid in member of the team whether they are in keeping all the members of a team calm. the middle of a playoff game or having a One dynamic duo post-game dinner with the team. when it comes to Schlemmer always lightens the mood funny teammates of the rest of the team and attempts to is made up of destroy the spirits of the opposition the Shaquille O’neal best he can, generally with comedic inand Charles Bark- tent. Of course, Schlemer is also very inley. Both of these tense during game time and does whattwo were wonder- ever he can to help his team win. ful teammates who Another popular funny teammate is

by SUMMER DANIEL, NATHAN ELLISEN, and MALLORY KUPPE

Larry Fitzgerald smiles after an Arizona Cardinals win.

“As a team it’s important to bond and I think teams that do best are the ones who are connected and care about each other”

Members of the boys basketball team cheer on their teammates. (Photo by David Hickey) George Welch (‘18) of varsity baseball.

“I bring light and a humorous attitude to the team” Welch said, revealing his comedic benefit to the team.

When speaking of his favorite type of teammate, Welch said “anyone but Max”, referring to Viking News Editor Max Jung-Goldberg. In any case, the funny teammate provides plenty of benefits to the aspect of a team.

Another common yet important teammate is the quiet competitor. Often times this teammate doesn’t blatantly support the team, especially compared to some other types of teammates, but this teammate is certainly a valuable member of any team and puts in all their effort towards the team as a whole whether or not they blatantly reveal their support.

One example of a popular quiet player in the NFL is Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Although Fitzgerald is not neccesarily considered silent when competing, he is certainly not the most outgoing member of the team. However, Fitzgerald is certainly one of the most valuable members of the team and still brings an energy and sense of fun for the rest of the team.

Fitzgerald also continually supports his teammates and coaches, complementing their play and morale throughout the

season.

For example, during the Cardinals preseason media day, Fitzgerald opened his interview by showing gratitude towards his mentors.

“I was very fortunate to have some great mentors. A father that was always in my life set the example every day at home.

Everybody asks me, ‘What was your role model?’ My role model slept 20 feet from me every night.

I could always go talk to him and ask him questions no matter what it was about,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald evidently is very grateful for all he has achieved in life and never comes short of supporting his “role model.”

Fitzgerald also has continued to stay with the Cardinals, despite opportunities for championships and possibly more money in other locations, he stays loyal to Phoenix and continues to fight for a championship.

“If there are a lot of extreme competitors on the team, the team mindset and work wthic is much different than if everyone is a jokester” 34 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

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Fitzgerald also supported his former teammate Michael Floyd after illegal substance allegations.

“Mike is like my brother. I love him dearly.” Fitzgerald said. “I think he’s going to be a great pickup for whoever lands him”.

A well-known Paly athlete with the same tendencies is boys varsity basketball player Marvin Zou (‘19). Although Zou, similar to Fitzgerald, is not the most outgoing player on the team, he still brings a competitive and beneficial spirit to the team and plays a crucial role on and off the court.

When speaking about his teammates and their effect on him and the team, Zou said “I think my teammates have helped me a lot with playing with people who are a lot bigger and taller because there are some giants on our team.”

Zou also classifies himself as a “selfless teammate,” someone who will put the team ahead of his personal interests and goals. In any case, quiet teammates are a common and important aspect of any team and any sport.

A teammate not so commonly found is the one with outstanding numbers. This person’s overall talent and skill bring the team to the next level. When handled correctly, the most valuable player helps the team excel.

A common danger with having a su-

“The attitude of your teammates can make or break the team” - Ameilia Gibbs (‘20)

“I think having teammates with different personalitites creates a good balance between fun and working hard, which is very important”

perstar on the squad is making sure that the team still plays as a team. Many times, when there is one stand out player, the team has a harder time playing as a unit, and solely relies on them.

When there is a player as valuable as such, the team must maintain the mentality that one person does not make a team. This creates a very successful outcome for the team as a whole.

One person that encapsulates this description at Paly is volleyball player Amelia Gibbs (‘20).

Her statistics are far above the average and she always plays with a team-oriented view.

“The attitude of your teammates can make or break the team” Gibbs said. “I’ve definitely played on teams where the way we got along was our biggest problem, but most of the time my teammates hyping me up when the team chemistry is really good is the best part of playing.”

Gibbs’ numbers show that she ac-

“If everyone contributes something different to the team’s social dynamics, then everyone can feel free to be themselves with the entire team”

quired a total of 185 kills last fall season, far surpassing the national average of 53.6. Additionally, she got 75 total blocks which is very impressive when compared to the national average of 13.9. Not to mention, she was put on first team for Varsity volleyball despite the fact that she is a sophomore.

Not only does she help the team with her outstanding performances, but contributes as a positive teammate.

“I focus on trying to make my teammates feel good by saying positive things and let the coaches be the ones to give them suggestions” Gibbs said.

A clear professional example of this type of teammate is Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan has won most valuable player in National Basketball Association five times in his career and is arguably the best player the NBA has ever seen.

Not only did he just have personal suc-

“I try to push myself and those around me to be the best players that they can be” - Jack Andersen (‘18)

Jack Andersen shot blocks in a league game against Gunn. (Photo by David Hickey)

cess, but he used his talent to get wins for the whole team with a total of 6 championships, never having lost in a championship game.

He is accredited with saying, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

This is the mentality that is key for the most valuable teammate to have in order to succeed as a whole team, not just as an individual player.

Similar to the teams prodigy, a common personality that shows up on almostevery team is the competitor. This is the teammate that takes the competition of the game to a whole new level. Typically, they are more passionate on the court and their fighting spirit ultimately has a positive impact on the team as a whole.

A Paly student that fits this description perfectly is water polo player Jack Andersen (‘18).

“I try to push myself and those around me to to be the best players that they can be,” said Andersen.

By simply showing up and encouraging others to put in the work, Andersen elevates the level of play for Paly water polo.

An extreme competitor is ambitious.

For example, Kobe Bryant used his competitive spirit to fuel his successful career in basketball.

“People just don’t understand how obsessed I am with winning” Bryant said.

This desire to win is what drove Bryant to have such a phenomenal career. He has won countless awards and honors.

Although he is retired now, the Lakers retired his jersey because of his amazing contributions.

If the team is ever slacking, the competitive teammate will hold them accountable. All teams need the fiery passion that this player brings to the table.

If a team starts to lose this fire, it can be very difficult to maintain the drive and determination it takes to achieve a team’s goals.

Every single team needs a leader.

There are times when someone within the team has to step up and take initiative. In crucial moments, it is easy to lose

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

focus or panic; It is the leaders responsibility to calm down the team and guide them back into the appropriate mindset.

One tricky aspect behind being a team leader is that you have to manage the team without micromanaging them, in order to avoid any resentment.

This can be difficult if a leader has unrealistic expectations because it makes their teammates feel as if they are under constant scrutiny.

A key aspect behind leading a team is learning to master the art of constructive criticism. Specifically, giving your teammates feedback on small, particular aspects of their game will result in them taking this criticism in a positive way. If the leader criticizes their teammates frequently then the teammate will most likely react negatively to the feedback.

Another responsibility of the team leader is to build every player up to their maximum potential. Whether this is through competition, leading by example or other methods this is crucial to developing the team to its highest level.

A leader also has to establish shared ownership for the results.

Most people are familiar with the phrase “win together, lose together” because it makes all players responsible for the outcomes of each game.

The team leader is also responsible for maintaining respect between teammates on and off the court. Coaches do not always pick up on the subtle negative interactions teammates have, so the responsibility for resolving these con-

“It is great to have a variety of different teammates because there is always someone to make you laugh, or push you to be better”

Girls Soccer celebrates after a goal scored agianst Pioneer. (Photo courtesy of Karen Ambrose Hickey) flicts tends to fall into the hands of the team captain.

The leader also guides the team towards a common goal. Almost every team goes into each new season with a goal.

For the Paly girls soccer team, the season goal has been the same thing for the past couple of years.

“It was our goal to beat Mountain View because they are our rivals and have been for a long time,” said Claire Moley (‘19). “For all the years I have been on varsity, it has been very back and forth between who beats who during each season.”

Going into that game, Moley said that keeping their season goal in mind

“People just don’t understand how obsessed I am with winning” - Kobe Bryant

“Everyone has a place on the team, all of the different characters make for a full group” 36 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

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helped them to achieve it.

“We went in knowing that this was going to be challenging game, which made us more focused on what we needed to do” said Moley.

When the team completed this goal, there was a feeling of achievement as well as team unity.

Moley also gave lots of credit to the captains of the team, Emily Tomz (‘18) and Ally Scheve (‘18). Without their leadership they couldn’t have had such a successful season. The team ended up getting placed in open division for CCS, got second in league and finished with an overall record of 13 wins, 6 losses and 2 ties.

In any case, all these incredibly important members of the team add some value. Some teams are unable to succeed despite raw talent because the teams morale and chemistry is unmatched by their opponents.

For example, teams like the Lakers and Heat have attempted to create “super teams” that dominate the NBA, but have continually lost to teams with far less tal-

“Having different personalities can bring a team together and a tight group tends to perform well and trust each other”

ent such as the Spurs simply use to the different kinds of teammates contributing to the team.

These super teams exist in all sports, and are unable to create a locker room environment worthy of winning a championship, due to their lack of varying types of players and teammates influencing the team.

The 2012 Lakers had almost all former MVPs that had no experience handling the team aspect without taking over the game for themselves, and therefore didn’t have all the required teammates an intensive team sport such as basketball requires.

Teammate chemistry also varies amongst different types of sports as well. Individual sports such as tennis and swimming generally don’t require as much teammate chemistry as some sports where the team works as a whole. It is a necessity to have a funny teammate to lighten the mood for the entire team, a quiet teammate to give way to the competitive players, a leader to guide the team to victory and a prodigy to lift the skill level.

Often times, especially in the case of Jackie Robinson, teammates con provide contrasting

“In a team atmosphere, you need to have a mixture of teammates that are often cocky, silly, outgoing, quiet, or a mixture in order to succeed”

aid to any individual player’s success. A teammate doesn’t always help the rest of the team, there are times when they worsen the experience of individual players and the success of the team as a whole.

In the case of Robinson, he had a few teammates, especially Pee Wee Reese, who helped him get to where he wanted to be.

Yet, some of the other Los Angeles Dodgers were not as supportive.

“Having different personalities can bring a team together” - Carly Martin (‘21)

Although these other teammates may or may not be classified in these generally positive categories of teammates, they did not help Robinson or the success of the team as a whole with their racist beliefs towards the traditional sport of baseball. However, beneficial teammates such as Reese can always overtake the adversity and pressure of any level athletic event.

“It is important to have a variety of different teammates because there is always someone to make you laugh, or push you to be better or to support you.

Having different personalities can bring a team together and a tight group tends to perform well and trust each other,” Carly Martin (‘21) said.

This trust is what makes any team successful but it also makes any team a family.

Girls Basketball acknowledges senior Carly Leong on the teams senior night. (Photo by David Hickey)

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Sko Vikes! supports Paly Vikes!

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Max Dorward (‘18) lays it in over the Gunn defender.

Photo by David Hickey

by NICK WELCH and MATAN ZIV Viking takes a look at the world’s greatest rivalries. These rivalries are driven by the passion of the players and fans.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

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veryone loves rivalry games. ly sucker punched Broncos’ three-time The fans are into it, the play- Pro-Bowl cornerback Chris Harris Jr. This ers show their passion, and violation was not flagged by an official, hearts and souls get shat- which angered the Broncos players and tered. caused tensions to flare and explode latOne intense, passionate, er in the game. Even though this seems and violent rivalry is between the Oak- like an isolated and violent incident, this land Raiders and the Denver Broncos. is just another day between the Broncos This AFC West matchup is one of the and Raiders. most heated rivalries in all of sports. Both players and fans go all out against each other.

An example of the tension between between these two teams occured over the past two seasons. It all started Photo by David Hickey when the Broncos five-time Bryant Jefferson (‘18) Pro-Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib tore off Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree’s gold chain in Denver during Week 12 of the 2016 NFL season.

A year later, Talib tore Crabtree’s necklace a second time. However, unlike the first incident, both teams got involved this time. Crabtree pushed Talib out of The only thing better than bounds and into a cameraman, which a rivalry between players is a rivalry prompted a group of Broncos players to between fans. Although we are in the leap up from the bench and swarm Crab- homeland of the “9ernation”, Paly has a tree. Escaping the scuffle but losing his fair number of die hard Raiders fans. Ole helmet, Crabtree threw several punches Erickson (‘18) is perhaps the most loyal at Talib who threw punches back. Both of them all.

Crabtree and Talib were ejected from “Talib’s a punk. Though he’s a punk, the game along with Raiders Right Guard he’s showed that he can walk the walk Gabe Jackson. Jackson was fined over and talk the talk. That’s just football.” $30,000 for making illegal contact with Erickson said, “the Broncos fan base is an official. Another incident that caused one of the worst fanbases in all of footthe fight to escalate occurred earlier ball. Yeah their little pretty boy John Elin the game when Crabtree apparent- way won them a Superbowl but they are Photo by David Hickey

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an inferior organization to the Oakland Raiders. In the words of the late, great Al Davis ‘We would rather be feared than respected.’”

Raiders fans are considered to be the most terrifying fans in all of sports. The main reason for this title is because of a Raiders tradition known as the Blackhole.

The most loyal Raiders fans dress up in silver and black costumes depicting some type of monster or demon. The point of this is to intimidate both the fans and players of the opposing team. Even Broncos fans are aghast by members of the Blackhole. If your favorite team is playing the Raiders, you’re going to face some of most frightening and aggressive fans in all of sports.

The only other rivalry more fierce than Paly vs. Gunn is Paly vs. Los Gatos. Although we are both from the fine town of Palo Alto, the Gunn rivalry is far less intense Los Gatos tends to have better athletic teams than Gunn. The most notorious matchup is between our two boys Varsity basketball teams. The first Gatos vs. Paly game this season was an away game on January 19th. Although the game lasted for several hours, we ended up winning 77-68 by shutting out Gatos in the second overtime. Throughout the game, our players had to deal with obnoxious and crass comments from the opposing fanbase.

Many of our fans were disgusted and offended by the crude and immature behavior from Los Gatos fans. When Gatos came to Play on February 9th, our fans

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans display the love for their team. were more respectful. This time our fanbase out numbered theirs by ten to one.

We were louder and prouder, but more civilized and gracious than the Gatos fans were at Paly and at their home game in Los Gatos. The Paly vs. Gatos rivalry extending across all sports including Baseball.

Nathan Willis (‘18) has played P a l y baseball since his freshman year and agrees that the Gatos rivalry is more extreme than the Gunn rivalry.

“Everyone is aware of the rivalry. The parents don’t like each other, the coaches don’t like each other and the players definitely don’t like each other.” Willis

said.

Despite being in the same town as Gunn, our most passionate rivalry is against a school that is 20 miles away.

One of the best rivalries in the entire world is Boca Juniors against River Plate in the The Primera División or A rg e n t i n i an soccer league. The Argentinian powerhouses absolutely command Argentinian fans, as the both of them combined have 70% of the fans in the entire nation. Hundreds have been hospitalized in the clash over the years, as fans go absolutely crazy, throwing objects that range from water bottles and liquor bottles to irritant spray. In one

"The parents do not like each other, the coaches do not like each other and the players definitely do not like each other."

-Nathan Willis (‘18)

Raiders fans showing out in the Blackhole. w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

of the recent clashes, four River Plate fans were hospitalized due to irritant being sprayed at them by Boca Juniors fans.

The incident left multiple players unable to see for multiple hours and caused the game to be abandoned in the middle.

Every single time these two teams play each other, almost 100,000 fans are there. However, it is not unusual for fights, and riots to break out. This rivalry is no regular game. It is a war.

Yet another fierce soccer rivalry is in the holy land of Israel. The derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv is fierce. Maccabi has recently been dominating the city, but the rivalry has been very back and forth over the past few decades. The fans of these two clubs hate eachother so much that when Hapoel was relegated from the Israeli Premier League, the Maccabi fans threw a parade. The parade included human-sized dolls dressed as Hapoel fans which Maccabi fans went on to burn and bury in a cascate.

Boca Juniors fans climb the fence.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Viking With spring sports season in full swing, Viking staff members Josh Kasevich, Ryan Strathearn, and Max Jung-Goldberg tried their luck in swapping their respective sports to see which one was more challenging to pick up.

F

Tries:

Swapping Sports

by JOSH KASEVICH, RYAN STRATHEARN, and MAX JUNG-GOLDBERG or this issue of Viking Tries, Max Jung-Goldberg (‘18), Joshua Kasevich (‘19), and Ryan Strathearn (‘19) delved into the world of baseball and lacrosse. Both are very competitive sports, but our job was to find out which one was harder.

At Paly, both teams have had great success; baseball has won their last three league championships, while lacrosse has won their last two. At Viking, we are looking to know which sport is individually the most difficult.

Kasevich , a baseball player, will be stepping into the world of lacrosse to see how he does outside of his sport, and Strathearn will be trying out baseball.

Our plan is to have Strathearn take batting practice on a baseball field and compare his results to those of other baseball players. Then, Kasevich will walk onto the lacrosse field, try to shoot on a goalie, and see if he can score. As a hypothesis for our experiment, we believe that lacrosse will be easier to adapt to

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since it is a very simple sport that simply requires athleticism while baseball takes a combo of hand-eye coordination and technique.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday to show the world that lacrosse is a sport that takes no skill, but purely athleticism,” Kasevich said .

His first shot was just outside the crease. He wound up and fired the ball at the net with as much power as he could get. The ball sailed over the net by about 30 feet and was his first miss. After consulting with Strathearn about what the strategy was while shooting, Kasevich picked up his second ball and ran for the net. He shot but this time the ball did not make it to the net, and bounced roughly five feet in front of it.

“After my first two shots, I knew what had to be done.

Now I am ready to ball,” Kasevich said.

As Jung-Goldberg and Strathearn await his third shot there was a lot of anticipation. Step by step he fiercely strode to the net, pulling the lacrosse stick back into a firing position. Kasevich flung the ball forward with finesse, and the ball sailed towards the goalie for his first shot on target but sadly was saved due to its poor placement. After that shot Kasevich improved his strategy and ended up putting four shots on trget and making two

“After my first two shots, I knew what had to be done. Now I am ready to ball.”

– Josh Kasevich (‘19) On Saturday, the Viking team took their respectable fields. First up on the schedule was lacrosse. We found an anonymous member of the lacrosse team to stand in goal, and Kasevich went out to shoot. He would have 10 shots to take, and see what his percentage of goals would be.

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out of his total 10 attempts.

After his performance, the Viking Staff concluded that the sport of lacrosse was not skill intensive, but merely took immense athleticism and some time to improve. Thus, it requires skill but is adaptable.

“I would rate his performance a three out of ten. With very little background in the sport it was a valiant effort, but he lacked defense and contact it was hardly game like,” Strathearn said.

Next, it was Strathearn’s turn to try America’s favorite pastime by hitting the field for a little batting practice. Strathearn has a background in baseball as a 3-time Palo Alto Little League All-Star, as well as outstanding hand eye coordination which should prove beneficial while batting. He came into the test with great confidence and lots of swagger.

“I hope I make contact a few times, I just gotta let it get deep in the zone and pull my hands through if I want to be successful and hit dingers,” Strathearn said.

Strathearn will take a total of 20 swings to see how he can perform at the high school level trying a new sport.

He started out slow missing his first 4 swings completely and it was looking utterly hopeless for Strathearn. With a few tips and tricks from Jung-Goldberg and Kasevich, two of Paly’s baseball stars; he managed to improved his performance, making contact his next three swings.

Strathearn ended up making contact in 14 out of 20 attempts, with just eight of them ending up in fair territory and a few making it out of the infield.

“I could only see two or three of those being hits in actual games, but with his heart anything is possible,” Jung-Goldberg said.

Kasevich rated his performance as a four out of ten because his hits were often soft and the pitching was not game like.

We can conclude that baseball is a very skill driven game, but with the right technique and skill set the sport can become a thing of beauty.

As a group we can conclude that baseball is a more challenging sport due to its necessity of skill and technique, but lacrosse is much more focused towards athleticism.

For Viking stepping outside our comfort zone and trying new sports has been an exciting time and we have come to the conclusion that both sports are challenging. However, baseball due to its intense need for technical skill has proven to be more challenging.

Photo by Stan de Martel

3/10

4/10

2/10

Pro Rating

Shots on Goal

Goals

After only shooting four of ten shots on target and scoring just two shots, Ryan gave Josh a pro rating of three out of ten.

Photo Courtesy of Theresa Strathearn

4/10

3/20

14/20

Pro Rating

Hits

Contact

Ryan made contact with 14 of 20 pitches; three were considered hits, leading Josh and Max to give him a pro rating of four out of ten. @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Show Me Your Sign

“

Student OpinioN: Kasra Orumchian (‘18)

One of my favorite signs from the basketball game was the one of Michael Scott against Gunn. I’m a big “Office” guy, so that one was good. When regarding the censorship, I totally understand that when signs get out of control or cross a line that it’s admin’s job to take them away. However, I thought that some of the complaints about ‘[Gunn] is not good at basketball’ written on a cardboard sign with sharpie were interesting.

”

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by Eric aboytes and will strauch

The Paly student section is one of the most intense fanbases in all of high school sports, and their creativity has influenced the creation of some top notch signage. Although these signs are created to show support, they have caused some tension with administration at Paly.

“

Student Opinion: ALExis Pisco (‘18)

My favorite sign would probably the ‘chicken stock, beef stock, laughing stock’ sign that was used at the Gunn game. I just remember some Gunn kids sliding up on my story about it. It was a little mean but obviously it was a joke and not meant to be taken seriously. The original Finger Lickin Good sign is also a classic that has been through a lot. As someone who has spent a lot of time making signs for games it’s very frustrating and hurts my heart a little bit to see the signs get confiscated, but I understand that admin has a job to do and it could make the school look bad.

”

Photos by David Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

Dear Seniors,

Madrono Yearbook would love to have your help!

Final Word...

by MATAN ZIV and WES WALTERS

In this issue’s Final Word, our final Final Word, we complete a full circle. We have come a long way with these columns, as the design has changed significantly and the quality of writing has improved from issue to issue. With our last Final Word we are going back to the old design as well as addressing our first topic again. We truly believe that we have continued the prophecy and lived up to the legacy of the legends, Pete and Ben, who came before us. Read and enjoy. You are welcome.

Got coverage ideas?

Contact your editors!

Chloe Nooran

Where did society’s human decency go?

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veryone knows that Los Gatos is nowhere near the level of intellectual or athletic brilliance we are at. They are both academically and athletically challenged. It is a fact we have all known for years. It is proven by the fact that we are the number five public high school in California, while Los Gatos lags behind as usual at number 19 according to niche.com.

However, recently, they have shown their true colors. In addition to lagging behind the rest of California both intellectually and athletically they are also racist. On multiple occasions this year, a Los Gatos “athlete” has hurled the N-word at a Palo Alto Viking. There is no place for this garbage anywhere. Honestly, it is not surprising on any sort of level that they

think it is alright to use that language considering their astonishingly low test scores. However, being uneducated is no excuse for racism.

FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body, has handed out many suspensions over the last few years for incidents involving racism in their effort to eliminate racist behavior from the game of soccer. Whether it is fans or the players themselves actually being racist, FIFA has handed down massive punishments.

The punishments have ranged from suspending players for multiple weeks to handing the club massive fines. Just because this is not professional sports does not mean an entire program should not be punished. If a school is repeatedly showing that they have no regard for what is alright to say and what is clearly not, the entire school should be punished by CCS. It has simply happened too many times this year that a Los Gatos athlete was racist towards an opposing player.

These are not occurrences that can be just accepted. CCS must follow suit behind all major sports organizations such as the NFL, NBA, along with FIFA. If all of

these professional sports organizations are taking such a harsh stand against racism, then why would CCS not do the same? If we don’t want a racist society then we should take action from a young age to show children that racism will not be accepted on any level of sports.

If CCS was doing what is right for our society, they would ban Los Gatos High School from any sort of league competition over the next four years. This allows the entire school to start fresh with new students who have nothing to do with the current racist culture present at the school today. If you do not lay down the law, then coaches will not care if their athletes are racist. No Los Gatos athlete was suspended for racist comments this year. None were last year either, even though the same event transpired directed at a Paly basketball player. They are racist, plain and simple, and must be reprimanded for it.

Additionally, when Los Gatos went and competed in the Division II state tournament for basketball (because they aren’t good), who knows how they will behave.

Why would we continue to let them compete and represent CCS when they could be saying things that would portray us civilized schools in a bad way. We at Palo Alto High School along with the rest of CCS do not stand for this sort of behavior, so why does CCS continue to allow Los Gatos to act like cavemen while representing us. Los Gatos must be suspended for the true prophecy to live on.

Finger Lickin’ Good.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MARCH 2018

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO ROAD PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94301

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